Rhyzobius pulchellus (Montrouzier)

Nattier, Romain, Jourdan, Hervé, Mille, Christian & Chazeau, Jean, 2015, An annotated checklist of the Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) from New Caledonia, Zootaxa 4058 (3), pp. 301-331 : 312

Rhyzobius pulchellus (Montrouzier)

Epilachna pulchella Montrouzier, 1861: 306 .

Rhizobius submetallica Crotch, 1874: 298 —synonymized by Tomaszewska 2010: 181. Rhizobius debilis Blackburn, 1888: 201 —synonymized by Tomaszewska 2010: 181. Rhizobius lindi Blackburn, 1888: 202 —synonymized by Tomaszewska 2010: 181. Rhizobius coerulens Blackburn, 1892: 256 —synonymized by Tomaszewska 2010: 181. Rhizobius pulchellus Fauvel 1903: 321 .

This species was described from New Caledonia, and considered as an endemic species until a recent review by Tomaszewska (2010). Its range encompasses all Australian states. It is considered to be an autochthonous species in New Caledonia.

The species description by Montrouzier was accompanied by an infrapaginal note, which has been attributed to his metropolitan correspondent: “This insect arrived in bad condition, and then was unable to be identified”. Therefore, Bielawski (1973) established his review on specimens from Fauvel’s collection, in Brussels. This author made a redescription where he illustrated male genitalia, but he did not assign a lectotype. Tomaszewska (2010) established a lectotype and a paralectotype from the Fauvel collection (respectively a male from Canala County and a male from Boulari in Mont-Dore County). This species is recorded from the east and west coasts (Nouméa, Mont-Dore, Canala). Uncommon in the wild, we consider this species as a scale-feeding specialist.

Literature records. NEW CALEDONIA: Kanala (Montrouzier rec.) (ISNB); Coulée, Boulari (A. Fauvel rec.) (ISNB) ( Tomaszewska 2010).